Thursday, December 9, 2010

This little stocking is a festive way to hold gift cards, some treats, or any other small gift you want to dress-up a little. The great thing about this method though, is that you can blow-up the stocking pattern and make stockings as big as you want by following the same, easy process. (And who doesn't sometimes want new, hip stockings to impress Santa?)

So start by printing the stocking pattern (click here for template) -or designing one of your own. Fabric requirements need to be enough fabric to cut two stocking shapes from two different fabrics. For this size stocking you will need an 11" x 14" piece of fabric for front and back outside pieces and another 11" x 14" piece for front and back lining pieces. (1 Fat Quarter would be enough for all four pieces, but they would all be the same.)

With wrong sides together, cut TWO stocking shapes of both your outside fabric and your cuff/liner fabric. IMPORTANT: make sure your toe faces both directions for each fabric. (This is why matching wrong sides together will help you get pieces facing both directions.)

Now pair up one outside fabric with one lining/cuff fabric with the toes pointing the same direction like this. (See picture above.) Match the outside fabric and lining fabric from each set right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam along the top of the two pieces. Open pieces up and press seam open. Repeat for back side.

Now match front and back pieced units right sides together with outside fabrics matched up and lining fabrics matched up. Center seams should match up too. Pin to hold two sides together. Leaving a space in the lining fabric for turning right side out, sew all the way around the outside edge of the stocking pieces (-where gray line is drawn.) Click on picture to see closer view.

I sewed a 1/4" seam allowance around the outside [polka-dot fabric] and 3/8" seam allowance around the green lining fabric, except the space left open for turning. This will help remove some of the bulk of the lining fabric. But if that's too confusing, just sew 1/4" for all.

Before you turn everything right-side out, cut notches in the curves - especially the toe. This will help the toe look nicer when finished. Be careful not to clip through the seam.

On the liner side, clip the fabric close to the seam.

This will also help remove some bulk on the lining.

Now pull everything right-side out. Carefully shape the outside part until the curves look good and press. Tuck the open ends into the stocking and topstitch the opening closed.

Now carefully tuck the lining inside the stocking.

Optional: Top stitch around the top edge for a more finished look.

Fold cuff down and carefully shape stocking.

Optional: add decorative trim if you want.

I just used Elmer's Craft glue to put on some ric rac.

And you're done! I suggest making a practice stocking just to see how it comes together and I guarantee each stocking you make after that will get faster and easier. You could easily make a bunch in one afternoon.

47 comments:

Great tutorial. I will absolutely try out this one. I will have visitors from home coming this Christmas, for the first time since I moved abroad ten years ago. To make a pretty stocking for everyone to bring home feels like a great idea. Thanks for sharing. I am so happy I found your blog. You have helped me a lot getting into this wuilting and sewing world.

oh, and I did make a table runner just like yours, teh stripy one, for Christmas that I just blogged about. But I did the top layer seperate, didn't quilt it together at once. I was to scared to try it... Silly me. Next time I will.

What a great tutorial. Thank you SO much. I have a bunch of stockings I'm supposed to make and have been afraid to start because of the problems I've seen so many others have. I wanted to make really nice looking ones too with a lining so this is wonderful. Have a wonderful holiday.

I love this! When it was posted on Ucreate it was stuck in my head all day until I could get to the machine to make one! I'm not sure if mine turned out as well as yours... mostly because my printer is shot so I just winged it and drew it out about the size yours looked! It still turned out pretty darn cute for just a few minutes worth of sewing! :)

What a great tutorial. I can't wait to try this. I linked over from finding fabulous. I am your latest follower. Can't wait to see what else you have. I'd love for you to come check out my blog and follow me back. www.diybydesign.blogspot.com. Thanks.

What an ADORABLE tutorial! I just whipped one up, and have a few more cut, your stocking pattern is perfect :o)

I have a question though, I want to make mine 'hangable' - but due a severe mind-block when it comes to spatial awareness and turning things right ways out etc. I couldn't for the life of me think when or where to stitch in a little loop into the lining or outer pieces?? Could you help at all?

Great questions about the loop. The only way I've figured out to attatch a loop because of the fold down cuff, is so sew it right at the top of the lining after the stocking itself is completed. You should be able to hid the stitches on the outside underneath the fold down cuff.

wow! This tutorial was FANTASTIC and totally saved my bacon... tonight! On Christmas Eve! When we realized that our box of stocking things never got to the new house... And my poor kids were sad to think there would be no stockings to hang. We raided my fabric stash and had fun whipping these things out. Took about an hour to make 4 of them. THANK YOU so much! ♥

I just came across this blog for this the other day. I am so happy to finally find an easier way of doing stockings. I do a lot of craft fairs my mine one is around this time of the year especially in November. I find these so beautiful. I am just wondering if I could add some ribbon for it to hang or make one of out of fabric.

Hi Amy, I've been making stockings similar to this to sell at a craft fair and lining them with calico. I stitch a piece of cuff fabric in between the outer piece and the lining piece. This also means I can add a hanging loop, by stitching the ends in between the cuff piece and the lining - I have the two halves of the stocking side by side to do this step, then flip them right sides together and sew all around. Thanks for your great blog, I really enjoy reading your posts.

Just had to tell you that I did a Pinterest search for Christmas stocking ideas today and smiled when your tutorial popped up -- I know that girl! :-) Isn't it cool how these blog posts live out there on the Internet for years, continuing to inspire people? Thanks for yet another great tutorial.

This tutorial seriously saved my bacon! I was staring at my sewing machine trying to figure out how to line, and add a back to a cross stitched stocking front that a friend brought me, and I was at a total loss! Thanks so much!

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